This invention relates generally to manually actuated sprayers, and more particularly to such sprayers having an orifice cup with a discharge orifice through which product is dispensed upon sprayer actuation.
The known orifice cup is mounted within the discharge passage of manually actuated hand-held sprayers, the cup being normally held in place as its cylindrical side wall is press fitted within the wall of a circular bore for tight frictional engagement therewith. Spin mechanics in the form of a spin chamber and tangentials leading thereto may be formed on the inner surface of the circular base wall of the orifice cup. Upon manual actuation of the sprayer as, for example, a pump sprayer actuated by depressing a plunger head or such as a trigger actuated sprayer actuated by the squeezing of the trigger, significant pressures are developed as the liquid product is forced through a constricted discharge passage and through the spin mechanics before issuing through the discharge orifice in the form of a spray. Of course, with no spin mechanics provided or with an immobilized spin mechanics feature, the liquid issues from the discharge orifice in the form of a stream.
The known orifice cup is molded as having a cylindrical skirt wall, and an annular retention bead projecting radially outwardly of the side of the cup near the front end thereof. The orifice cup is typically force fitted within the cylindrical bore at the terminal end of the discharge passage in tight frictional engagement between the cylindrical side wall of the cup and the cylindrical bore wall. The annular retention bead is designed to project into the confronting cylindrical portion of the pump sprayer body serving to assist in retaining the orifice cup in place within the bore as well as in acting as a seal between the orifice cup and the bore of the discharge passage.
Occasionally the orifice cup will dislodge from its bore upon persistent high pressures acting on its underside surface during sprayer actuation. When this occurs the orifice cup may be shifted sufficiently downstream such that its annular retention/sealing bead moves out of its mating groove and even out of the terminal end of the bore. Thus, the seal between the orifice cup and the wall of the bore is disturbed thereby opening up a passage, however, minute, for liquid to leak through. This presents an unsightly and totally unacceptable condition.
Also where spin mechanics is formed on the inner surface of the base of the orifice cup which cooperates with a confronting probe on the sprayer body which extends into the cup, any slight shifting movement of the orifice cup in a downstream direction in response to the high pressure exerted will cause both leakage of product and may defeat the ability of the spin mechanics to function to swirl the product and break it up into a fine mist spray.
The need therefore arises for improvement upon the retentivity and the sealability of the orifice cup within its bore.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an orifice cup for a manually actuated sprayer which is positively retained in place against dislodgement and is sealed in its bore against leakage in a manner requiring but a minor modification thereby incurring little costs for the same yet is highly efficient in improving upon the retentivity and sealability of the orifice cup in its bore.
In keeping with this objective, the orifice cup according to the invention has its skirt molded to frusto-conical shape tapering outwardly in an upstream direction of flow through the orifice. The circular base of the orifice cup has an outer diameter substantially the same as the wall diameter of the discharge bore. The cup skirt wall tapers radially outwardly relative to that outer diameter such that when force fitted into its bore the entirety of the skirt wall bears tightly and sealingly against the bore wall for both positively retaining the orifice cup in place without the likelihood of dislodgement due to pressure forces of the discharged fluid, and for sealing the orifice cup in its bore without the likelihood of any leakage from around the cup.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.